March 19, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

Info Round Up will return on April 1, 2010

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Get Active Mississauga – Active Transportation
Lots of good info here – be sure to go to the Get Active homepage too.

CHILDREN

Effect of school based physical activity programme (KISS) on fitness and adiposity in primary schoolchildren: cluster randomised controlled trial
BMJ 2010;340:c785

Conclusion: A school based multi-component physical activity intervention including compulsory elements improved physical activity and fitness and reduced adiposity in children.

Let’s Move
Check out this new childhood obesity program in the US with the involvement of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Neighborhood determinants of self-efficacy, physical activity, and body weights among Canadian children
Health & Place Volume 16, Issue 3, May 2010, Pages 567-572

Both infrastructural investments such as in recreational facilities, sidewalks and parks, as well as health education to promote self-efficacy may increase PA and prevent overweight among children.

Physical activity and adolescents: An exploratory randomised controlled trial investigating the influence of affective and instrumental text messages
British Journal of Health Psychology

The findings suggest that for adolescent individuals who are inactive, receiving messages about affective gains from physical activity are more effective than receiving messages about the potential health benefits.

CHRONIC DISEASE

Management of Low Back Pain
The Alberta Ambassador Program has produced practice guidelines for acute and chronic low back pain which are housed on the Toward Optimized Practice web site of the Alberta Medical Association. The guidelines are available in a two page summary form as well as longer more detailed versions. There are also patient information sheets available.

Type 2 Diabetes: Poverty, Priorities and Policy: The Social Determinants of the Incidence and Management of Type 2 Diabetes
Brand new 2010 report. Physical activity is mentioned many times – including specific tables/figures. (Note: when you go to the link it may ask you to install an add on to open the document – it’s safe to do so).

HEALTHY EATING

Four translations of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis
This food guide is now available in Woods Cree, Plains Cree, Ojibwe, and Inuktitut. These translations are part of a broader effort by Health Canada to provide Canada’s Food Guide in a variety of languages to better reach Canadians.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY

Neighborhoods and obesity in New York City
Health & Place Volume 16, Issue 3, May 2010, Pages 489-499

These findings are consistent with the growing literature showing that area income and availability of food and physical activity resources are related to obesity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Australian sports urged to engage all cultures
An important part of involving your community in structured sport is the work that clubs and coaches do to build awareness and promote participation within all cultures. Links provide information on how to involve multicultural communities in your locality in sport and recreation.

Health Survey for England 2008: Focus on physical activity and fitness
Released February 2010. This document summarizes the key findings from the 2008 Health Survey for England concerning the physical activity levels of adults and children.

Parks, Playgrounds and Active Living
This synthesis summarizes the growing body of evidence concerning the role of parks in shaping active lifestyles across a variety of study populations, including children, seniors, lower-income families, specific racial and ethnic groups and other populations at high risk of being inactive.

Physical activity and health fact sheet
*New* from the BHF National Centre Physical Activity + Health (UK).
This updated fact sheet provides the latest evidence on how physical activity can help to prevent a range of medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, some cancers, hypertension and osteoporosis. This fact sheet can be used to make the case and secure funding for physical activity intervention or for professionals to increase and update their knowledge.

Program Costing Worksheets
These worksheets provide templates for determining program costs, which include staff, facilities and additional costs. There is a section for determining cost per participant and for calculating net profit or loss at the end of the program.

Urban Green Space and Public Health
Looks at the links between urban green space and public health

Using Active Living Principles to Promote Physical Activity in Rural Areas
This document is meant for community advocates, leaders, policy makers, or any other stakeholders that are interested in creating supports for active living within rural communities.

WOMEN
Physical activity, sedentary behavior and depression among disadvantaged women
Health Education Research Advance Access published online on February 9, 2010
Megan Teychenne, Kylie Ball and Jo Salmon

This study demonstrates the associations that exist between the risk of depression in women and is novel due to its large number of participants and its focus on disadvantaged neighborhoods

March 12, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ABORIGINAL
Indigenous Sport Council Alberta
ACE Communities is working with the Indigenous Sport Council (Alberta) to support the use of recreation, sports, arts, culture and heritage in Aboriginal Communities.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Active travel strategy
The strategy highlights plans to put walking and cycling at the heart of local transport and public health strategies over the next decade. The guiding principles for the strategy are that walking and cycling should be everyday ways of getting around – not just for their own sake but also because of what they can do to improve public health, tackle congestion, reduce carbon emissions and improve the local environment.

Journal of the Transportation Research Board - Volume 2140 / 2009
There are many, many good articles dealing with pedestrians and cyclists in this issue.

Paths for All
Paths for All is a national charity promoting walking for health and the development of multi-use path networks (Scotland).

Physical activity in the Active People Survey: Developing an indicator that includes walking and cycling for transport
This paper analyses the Sport England Active People Survey data to estimate the percentage of adults participating in moderate intensity physical activity for 30 minutes or more on at least three and five occasions per week that includes walking and cycling for transport.

Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030
Bicycling creates safer streets, reduces the causes of global climate change, promotes a healthy environment, and limits the effects and health care costs related to inactivity. It provides equity and access to viable, affordable transportation options and creates fun, vibrant, and livable neighborhoods. It supports Portland’s economy and is a sound investment. (Portland is very progressive when it comes to Active Transportation!)

CHILDREN
Change4Life one year on
This document reports on the first twelve months of the Change4Life campaign. Change4Life, which launched to the public in January 2009, is the social marketing part of the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives cross-governmental strategy for England. In its first year, Change4Life focused on those families with children aged 5-11, who were at greatest risk of becoming overweight or obese.

Descriptive epidemiology of youth pedometer-determined physical activity: CANPLAY
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: POST ACCEPTANCE, 4 February 2010
Craig, Cora L; Cameron, Christine; Griffiths, Joseph M; Tudor-Locke, Catrine

This study demonstrates the viability of using relatively inexpensive pedometers and methods for the surveillance of young people's physical activity. The resulting descriptive data provide key information regarding the population distribution of pedometer-determined physical activity that may be useful for identifying target groups for population strategies and other interventions.

The GirlStars Program: Challenges to Recruitment and Retention in a Physical Activity and Health Education Program for Adolescent Girls Living in Public Housing
Preventing Chronic Disease Volume 7: No. 2, March 2010

Although physical inactivity is a concern for all adolescents, physical activity levels are especially low among minority adolescents and minimal among girls from low-income families. After-school programs can reduce high-risk behaviors and strengthen schools, families, and communities.

Preventing childhood obesity through lifestyle change interventions: A briefing paper for commissioners
This briefing paper aims to support commissioners by providing a brief guide to current
best available evidence on effective obesity prevention interventions for children and
young people Physical activity is mentioned 12 times in this 10 page document.

Upstart: Low Cost Recreation Space
Take advantage of this Government of Alberta rental rate subsidy that helps community groups run recreational programming for children and youth during out-of-school hours in Calgary and the Rocky View.

Using accelerometers and GPS units to identify the proportion of daily physical activity located in parks with playgrounds in New Zealand children.
Preventive Medicine Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Robin Quigg, Andrew Gray, Anthony Reeder, Alec Holt, Debra Waters

These findings, using accelerometers and GPS units to investigate the location of children’s physical activity, demonstrates that only a small percentage of children’s daily physical activity levels is carried out in parks with playgrounds. It is likely that the provision of parks alone may not be enough to increase physical activity levels in children.

CHRONIC DISEASE
A prediction of obesity trends for adults and their associated diseases
the National Heart Forum Modelling Team compare trends including the most recent data from Health Survey for England (2000- 2007) to the analysis conducted for the Foresight report for adults in three age groups. Furthermore, updated predictions for the burdens of diseases that are attributable to obesity are presented, specifically arthritis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, gall bladder disease, hypertension, stroke and the following cancers: breast, colorectal, endometrial, kidney, oesophageal and liver.

MENTAL HEALTH
Do exercise and fitness buffer against stress among Swiss police and emergency response service officers?
Psychology of Sport and Exercise - Article in Press
Markus Gerber PhD, Michael Kellmann PhD, Tim Hartmann MS and Uwe Pühse PhD

The findings indicate that exercise and fitness can help foster a healthy and thriving workforce that takes less sick leaves and feels better prepared to cope with chronic stress.

Minding our bodies: Physical activity for mental health
Minding Our Bodies is a two-year project (2008-2010). Our goal is to increase capacity within the community mental health system in Ontario to promote active living and to create new opportunities for physical activity for people with serious mental illness to support recovery.

OLDER ADULTS
Changes in leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviour at retirement: a prospective study in middle-aged French subjects.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2010, 7:14

These findings highlight that retirement provides opportunities to increase physical activity, but increasing leisure-time can also lead to increased sedentary behaviour.

International Federation on Aging
The IFA believes in 'generating positive change for older people throughout the world by stimulating, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on rights, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life of people as they age.'

WHO Age-Friendly Environments Program
The WHO is the focal point for age friendly cities/communities/environments – this website is now operational and we invite you to go online and join The Global Network. At this time the IFA is temporarily closing its AFC website and transferring relevant information to our main site over the next few weeks. Age Friendly environments remains one of IFAs key priorities and we look forward to sharing new information from the IFA 10th Global Conference in the very near future.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Pedometer Use Among Adults at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Finland, 2007-2008
Preventing Chronic Disease Volume 7: No. 2, March 2010

Sedentary adults can be motivated to use a pedometer if we inform them that regular users find it a useful instrument for increasing their level of exercise. These adults should set realistic goals for walking and receive adequate instructions for using pedometers.

Physical activity and physical health functioning among middle-aged Finnish employees
Preventive Medicine - Article in Press
Jouni Lahti, Mikko Laaksonena, Eero Lahelmaa and Ossi Rahkonena

The objective of the study was: “To examine whether physical activity contributes to physical health functioning five to seven years later among middle-aged employees.”

URBAN DESIGN
The Built Environment and Health: 11 Profiles of Neighborhood Transformation
Highlights neighborhood-level changes to the built environment that can have a positive influence on the health of community residents, especially in low-income communities. The profiles demonstrate how health practitioners, community members and many others can work together to improve community well-being by making changes to the built environment.

Community Health and the Built Environment
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then residents from North Central Edmonton have glowing stories to share about their community.

It takes more than stores to build a winning town center
According to a Feb. 28th Washington Post article, "The nation's two largest groups -- baby boomers shedding their houses as they become empty nesters and millennials reaching their 30s and moving into their own homes -- largely prefer densely populated, walkable communities, experts say." Urban planners project that 86 percent of the growth in new households will be single people or couples without children at home -- and neither group wants to live in remote suburbs or in houses surrounded by big lawns.

Ottawa Neighborhood Study
Evidence is mounting that the neighborhoods and communities in which we live affect both the health and the gap in health between rich and poor. Our aim is to better understand the physical and social pathways through which neighborhoods in Ottawa affect health.

WOMEN
Influence of habitual physical activity on body composition, fat distribution and metabolic variables in early postmenopausal women receiving hormonal therapy
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology Article in Press
S. Lara, G. Casanova and P.M. Spritzer

Habitual physical activity plays a major role in preserving a favorable cardiovascular profile in postmenopausal patients using HRT.

February 19, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Walking and Biking Through Minnesota Winters
Information from a course to highlight and explore best local, national and international practices for encouraging year-round non-motorized (walking and cycling) transportation. The course included specific exploration of design, maintenance, and operations practices in similar winter climates, and was convened as a starting point for upcoming conversations exploring improvements to our year-round walking and cycling infrastructure and maintenance practices.

CHILDREN

Childhood Obesity – It’s Everyone’s Business: Separating Fact from Fiction
Includes a list of statements about childhood obesity. Each is identified as either
“fact” or “fiction,” with an explanation of the evidence for the statement.

Encouraging Walking and Bicycling through School Policies

Promoting Optimal Monitoring of Child Growth in Canada: Using the New WHO Growth Charts
Developed collaboratively by the Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, The College of Family Physicians of Canada and Community Health Nurses of Canada. The statement is intended for use as a practice guideline for health professionals. The desired outcome is the promotion of consistent practices in monitoring growth and assessing patterns of linear growth and weight gain in infants, children and adolescents to support healthy child growth and development.

School Travel Planning Newsletter
News and information about the Canadian school travel planning project.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Coalitions Linking Action & Science for Prevention (CLASP)
More than 30 organizations from across Canada are forming partnerships in a $15.5-million series of initiatives designed to prevent chronic disease. The seven collaborative coalitions are to address such issues as childhood obesity, screening for chronic disease by family doctors, and the unique needs of First Nations communities.

CLASP Phase 1 Report
This report provides a detailed description of the CLASP Phase 1 consultation process as well as an outcome summary from each of the workshops, and an overview of the highest priority opportunities for collaborative action as identified by workshop participants.

The Economic Costs of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Inactivity Among California Adults – 2006.
On July 9, 2009, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) released this report. The study found that the cost of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity had climbed to $41 billion in 2006, nearly double the amount reported in 2000.

Exercise Testing for the Prediction of Cardiac Events in Patients with Diabetes
To assess research evidence on the safety and prognostic value of exercise testing for the prediction of cardiac events in patients with chronic diseases including diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and arthritis.

Getting It Right: Case Studies of Effective Management of Chronic Disease Using
Primary Health Care Teams
Collectively, the five case studies describe a recipe for success for the design and implementation of effective, team-based primary health care for people living with chronic illness.

DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
An Economic Framework for Analysing the Social Determinants of Health and
Health Inequalities
Reducing health inequalities is an important part of health policy in most countries. This paper discusses from an economic perspective how government policy can influence health inequalities, particularly focusing on the outcome of performance targets in England, and the role of sectors of the economy outside the health service – the ‘social determinants’ of health - in delivering these targets.

HEALTH PROMOTION
Can I use this evidence in my program decision? Assessing Applicability and Transferability of Evidence (2007)
Link to Background Paper and Link to Tool
A summary of the current literature, including a process to help you evaluate the feasibility and generalizability of evidence to your public health practice. The associated tool (available separately) helps you make decisions about program priorities in your own community.

Community Health Improvement Resources (CHIR)
A web-based resource for planning, implementing and evaluating interventions to improve the health of a community. You may access information, tools and resources for health conditions and risk factors. Designed for use by public health practitioners and community stakeholders.

Health Disparities Calculator
The Health Disparities Calculator (HD*Calc) is a statistical software designed to generate multiple summary measures to evaluate and monitor health disparities (HD). HD*Calc was created as an extension of SEER*Stat that allows the user to import SEER Data

Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPS)
A listing of physical activity intervention programs.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Active People Survey 3
From Sport England the Active People Survey 3 began on 15 October 2008 and ran for 12 months until mid October 2009.

Disparities in Data on Healthy People 2010 Physical Activity Objectives Collected by Accelerometry and Self-Report
American Journal of Public Health - published online ahead of print
Sandra A. Ham Barbara E. Ainsworth

Conclusions. Disparities in physical activity differ from previous findings. Increased understanding of these disparities should be used to design better and more cost-effective physical activity interventions. Physical activity surveillance methods should be revised to make use of data collection methods that are more valid than self-report.

Health Survey for England - 2008: Physical activity and fitness
The 2008 Health Survey for England focused on physical activity and fitness. Adults and children were asked to recall their physical activity over recent weeks, and objective measures of physical activity and fitness were also obtained. A secondary objective was to examine results on childhood obesity and other factors affecting health, including fruit and vegetable consumption, drinking and smoking.

National policy to local practice: Working together to deliver physical activity programs
Keynote, workshop and poster presentations now available to download.

Ontario Society of Physical Activity Promoters in Public Health (OSPAPPH)
The OSPAPPH aims to be the unified voice representing public health practitioners with the mandate of promoting physical activity in their respective communities.

URBAN DESIGN
Active Design Guidelines
The Active Design Guidelines provides architects and urban designers with a manual of strategies for creating healthier buildings, streets and urban spaces, based on the latest academic research and best practices in the field.

WOMEN
Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older
Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 170 No. 2, January 25, 2010

Data from the ongoing cohort Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) was used. A total of 13,535 participants who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in 1986 and were aged 70 years or older were included in the study. ……..This research demonstrates regardless of body weight, physical activity, including walking, at midlife may increase the probability of preserving optimal health in women. Maintaining a healthy body weight and high physical activity levels simultaneously at midlife is likely to increase the odds of successful survival.

February 5, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

There will not be a Physical Activity Information Round-Up next week. The Roundup will resume on February 19, 2010.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2010 Benchmarking Report
Many of the benchmarks featured in this report contribute to making communities more bicycle and pedestrian friendly by changing the built environment, culture, attitudes, and behaviors.

Canada Walks
Our Mission: to change the current social paradigm so that walkable communities are the cultural and social norm in Canada.

On the Move in the Community: Canada’s first active transportation conference
Montreal June 3rd and 4th, 2010.
The conference will bring together forty local and international speakers and specialists. These experts in the field will present winning formulas that have proven successful in public awareness campaigns and cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly urban planning endeavors.

Pedestrian Forum: Safe Pedestrians and a Walkable America
VOL. 49, Winter 2010
The latest edition of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Pedestrian Forum Newsletter. It highlights efforts by the FHWA and its partners to improve the safety of walking and bicycling as a mode of transportation.

CHILDREN
Obesity: Recent Trends in Children Aged 2-11y and 12-19y: Analysis from the Health Survey for England 1993 – 2007
Comparing the HSE (2000-2007) data set shows a significantly healthier picture than the data up until 2004. The overall picture is positive for all age groups and genders. There are some gender differences with 12-19y females faring significantly worse than their 2-11y counterparts and with males where there is little difference between the two age groups.

Parks and open space: For the health and wellbeing of children and young people
See the contribution parks and open space can make to the health & wellbeing of young people, part of the Action for Young Australians program.

Urban Thinkers: Empowering people to walk and cycle
Urbanthinkers is a sustainable transportation think tank based in East Vancouver, BC with over a decade of international experience. We believe that walking and cycling to school can be fun, safe and invigorating – and that student leaders themselves will generate the shift away from a current over-reliance on driving to school.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease: targeting risk factors
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) focuses on targeting disease risk factors such as physical inactivity.

COMMUNITY
Effects of Park Improvements on Park Use and Physical Activity: Policy and Programming Implications
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 37, Iss 6, Dec 2009, Pages 475-480

Improvements to parks may not automatically result in increased use and physical activity, especially when programming decreases. Multiple factors contribute to park use and need to be accounted for in future community-level interventions. Further, improving perceptions of safety alone is unlikely to result in increased park use.

DISABILITY
Participation in Sport by People with a Disability
This fact sheet presents information on disability and participation in sport by people with a disability. It also compares their participation rates with people with no disability and examines whether participation rates vary with sex, age and the type of disability. December 2009 from Australia

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Adjusting step count recommendations for anthropometric variations in leg length
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport- Article in Press
Michael W. Beets, Stamatis Agiovlasitis, Christopher A. Fahs, Sushant M. Ranadive and Bo Fernhall

“In conclusion, notable differences in the total number of steps to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity were observed when accounting for variations in leg length. These estimates developed herein provide preliminary evidence that adjusting for anthropometric differences can provide the public with a closer approximation of their individualised steps min threshold required to meet recent physical activity recommendations.”

Blueprint for an Active Australia
The Blueprint for an Active Australia provides key actions, based on evidence of effectiveness, that can increase physical activity levels in Australia from 2010 to 2013. This document draws on available evidence that supports the need for implementation of a comprehensive range of actions at national, state and local levels. These actions address the barriers to physical activity and create opportunities for all Australians to be active in their homes, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and communities.

Evaluation of the Ramblers Family Walking Programme – Furness Families Walk4Life
Overall, the project was successful at engaging young families, who reported positive experiences of the program. The evaluation report highlights 34 implications for future practice. These recommendations, (which may be useful for other organizations looking to implement a walking intervention) have been broken down into clear and concise categories.

Let's get physical: The economic contribution of fitness centres in Australia
Find out the potential health and economic savings relating to fitness centres.

Physical Activity Resource Centre (PARC) New website
The PARC website has a new look and a new web address. The new and improved PARC website features include:
• Streamlined navigation to make it easier to find the content you need
• Downloadable workshops that are easier to navigate
• Brighter, cleaner design

RESEARCH TOOLS
The Cochrane Library publication frequency
Effective January, 2010, Cochrane has made the much-anticipated change to monthly publications of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR).

Health-Evidence
This site provides current research evidence relevant to public health in a searchable online registry. If you use Health-Evidence, you don’t need to go to Cochrane because all the research in the Cochrane database that is relevant to public health is listed in Health-Evidence.

NICE Guidelines (narrowed by topic to public health)
Based on high-quality systematic reviews; several new topics are added every year.

Pubmed – using the Clinical Queries tool
Clinical Queries uses some “behind the scenes” search strategies to help you find the best evidence for your question.

Pubmed without Clinical Queries tool
You may end up with a lot of hits, but you can use limits (language, human, dates, methods) to narrow down the number.

TRIP (Turning Research into Practice)
Searches across evidence-based resources (synopses, guidelines and systematic reviews); originally clinically based, but expanding to include community prevention.

URBAN DESIGN
Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual
The manual builds on similar efforts in Germany, the UK, Australia, and the US….. it introduces the concept of the pedestrian realm as an integral part of the overall street composition, and shows how this and the traveled way are combined to provide a balanced street network for all modes of transport. In this regard the manual is perhaps one of the most progressive in the world.

Risking Success Through Flexible Design
"What comes to mind when you picture a livable community? Many people probably imagine scenes of bicyclists riding the streets, children walking to school, perhaps riders hopping on streetcars to go to work or run errands, friends meeting in front of storefronts, or diners sitting at outdoor cafes. Roadway congestion and lengthy distances to destinations probably do not spring to mind."

WORKPLACE
What Works in Worksite Health Promotion - Systematic Review Findings and Recommendations from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, Supplement 1, Pages A1-A8, S223-S302 (February 2010)

“An important milestone has been achieved through the publication of the Task Force review of workplace health promotion programs in this issue. The thoughtful and rigorous analysis of the literature determined that well-designed, evidence-based, and theory-grounded programs can bring about health improvement, risk reduction, lower levels of healthcare use, and improved worker productivity….”

Janaury 22, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
America Walks’ Position Statement: Walking is More Than Local
Investment and policy decisions that encourage or discourage walking are made at the local, regional, state and federal levels. Likewise, the public health, environmental and quality of life impacts of walking or not walking extend beyond local borders……

Go here to see their other position statements.

Calm Traffic before Traffic Calming
A film taken from a streetcar traveling down Market Street in San Francisco in 1906, a few days before the earthquake/fire destroyed the area. “It's worth taking 7 minutes of your life to watch (but one or two minutes is good enough) ... no paved roads, no driving rules, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crosswalks. But it all works because the pace is slower." -- John Cinatl

Congestion Road Tax and Physical Activity
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 171-177

The results from this study on the influence of a congestion road tax on levels of physical activity, though inconclusive, suggest that policy changes such as a congestion road tax might promote improvements in physical activity levels in individuals with motorized vehicles.

Mobile phone use while cycling: Incidence and effects on behavior and safety
Ergonomics, Volume 53, Issue 1 January 2010 , pages 30 – 42

Although perhaps mainly restricted to flat countries with a large proportion of cyclists, mobile phone use while cycling has increased and may be a threat to traffic safety, similar to phone use while driving a car. In this study, the extent of the problem was assessed by observing the proportion of cyclists using mobile phones, sending questionnaires to accident-involved cyclists and an experimental study was conducted on the effects of mobile phone use while cycling.

CHILDREN
A One of a Kind Walking, Biking School Opens in Canada
With the dawn of the new year, a newly opened elementary school in Ontario is heralded as the nation's first school that requires nearly all of its students to get to and from school using their own two feet.

Healthy Eating/ Physical Activity/Healthy Weights DRAFT Guidance Document
From the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion. The purpose of these documents is to summarize current evidence to assist boards of health in the implementation of the Ontario Public Health Standards. An online consultation is currently underway with Public Health Units and will conclude January 31, 2010. We anticipate the release of the final Guidance Documents on March 31, 2010.

Mapping the Walk to School Using Accelerometry Combined with a Global Positioning System
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 178-183

(Their) results provide evidence that the journey to school is purposeful and contributes to higher total physical activity and MVPA in children. Combining accelerometer and GPS data may aid our understanding of the environmental context of physical activity.

Physical Literacy for Preschoolers – It’s All About Me Me Me! ... A Multi- Movement Approach to Teaching Preschool Recreational Activities
This presentation from the 2009 Recreation Nova Scotia Annual Conference, focuses on the importance of multi-movement learning opportunities for preschool-aged children to promote Physical Literacy and examines the different teaching styles that can accommodate learning styles and developmental stages of preschool-aged children in a ‘child-centered’ recreational learning environment.

Play Matters: A study of the Best Practices to Inform Local Policy and Process in Support of Children’s Play
In municipalities across America, engaged citizens and civic leaders are actively seeking innovative ways to improve the accessibility, quality, and quantity of play and play spaces for children. To help cities build awareness & political capital and develop a policy on play, KaBOOM! identified 12 relevant and innovative best practices in play.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Launch of Updated Canadian Best Practices Portal for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention
On January 20, 2010, a new and improved version of the Canadian Best Practices Portal, went live. The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Portal is a virtual front door to community and population health interventions related to chronic disease prevention and health promotion that have been evaluated, shown to be successful, and have the potential to be adapted and replicated by other health practitioners working in similar fields.

COMMUNITY
Development of the Community Healthy Living Index: A tool to foster healthy environments for the prevention of obesity and chronic disease
Preventive Medicine Volume 50, Supplement 1, January 2010, Pages S80-S85

This paper presents a new, comprehensive tool for communities to assess opportunities for active living and healthy eating. The Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI) covers five major sectors where people live, work, learn, and play: schools, after schools, work sites, neighborhoods, and the community-at-large. CHLI and the accompanying procedures enable community teams to assess programs, the physical environment, and policies related to healthy living, and to plan improvement strategies.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical Activity Research Updates from the USC Prevention Centre
A listing of past and current research published in the area of Physical Activity. This is a GREAT resource.

Special Issue of Preventive Medicine: Active Communities for Youth and Families: Using Research to Create Momentum for Change
Preventive Medicine Volume 50, Supplement 1, Pages S1-S126 (January 2010)

The 15 papers presented at the Active Living Research conference and published in this issue are divided into the following subsections covering various aspects of promoting physical activity in communities:
• Translating Research to Policy Award
• Parks and Recreation
• Youth and Schools
• Transportation and Land Use
• Measurement Advances

URBAN DESIGN
National Geographic New Suburban Design
Explore this interactive learning tool that compares the differences between urban sprawl type design and new urbanism.

Neighborhood determinants of self-efficacy, physical activity, and body weights among Canadian Children
Health & Place, Article in Press
Z. Davidson A, Simen-Kapeu and P.J. Veugelers (U of A Researchers)

Both infrastructural investments such as in recreational facilities, sidewalks and parks, as well as health education to promote self-efficacy may increase PA and prevent overweight among children.

New Urban News
They have created a one-stop location for news, resources, and case studies on designing walkable, complete streets

Urban sprawl and health: Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean healthier
A Healthy Public Policy Information Sheet from Alberta Health Services.

January 15, 2010

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN
Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian
Health Measures Survey
Fitness levels of children and youth have declined significantly and meaningfully since 1981, regardless of age or sex. Significant sex differences exist for most fitness measures. Fitness levels change substantially between ages 6 and 19 years……. snip

Meeting the Challenge of Childhood Obesity
The State Education Standard is the policy journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education. Written for lay leaders and professional educators alike, the journal explores major education issues through the lens of policy development and implementation. All articles are free to download as a .pdf.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Leisure-time physical activity and risk of type 2 diabetes in patients with established vascular disease or poorly controlled vascular risk factors
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice Article in Press
B.G. Brouwer et al

Leisure-time physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of T2DM in patients with manifest arterial disease, or poorly controlled risk factors. The combination of physical activity and non-obesity is associated with an even lower risk of the development of type 2 diabetes than the sum of their independent, protective effect.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Canadian Health Measures Survey Results Released
The CHMS captured key information relevant to the health of Canadians by means of direct physical measurements, such as body measurements, cardio-respiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness and blood pressure.

Fitness of Canadian adults: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey
Based on results of the fitness tests and anthropometric measurements, many Canadian
adults face health risks due to suboptimal fitness levels….. snip

Kinetic Notions
HumanKinetics.com will now feature Kinetic Notions, a new weekly column offering a thought-provoking look at life and physical activity.

ParticipACTION: Baseline Research on the Resurgence of Canada's Physical Activity Social Marketing Leader
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:89

An open access journal. The set of ParticipACTION papers in this issue establish benchmarks and provide baseline and initial impact data for the evaluation and monitoring of ParticipACTION, using qualitative and quantitative research methods. As a set, they describe a comprehensive approach to setting up evaluations of national social marketing efforts to promote physical activity.

The relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use
Social Science & Medicine Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Andrew P. Jonesa, Emma Coombes and Melvyn Hillsdon

The findings suggest that the provision of good access to green spaces in urban areas may help promote population physical activity.

December 11, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Access to Destinations: Application of Accessibility Measures for Non-Auto Travel Modes
Conventional transportation planning is often focused on improving movement (or mobility)--most often by the automobile…. When it comes to bicycling, walking, and transit measures of accessibility are an endeavor long on rhetoric but short on execution….. This report discusses such hurdles, presents alternatives for overcoming them, and demonstrates how accessibility for walking, cycling, and transit--and for different types of destinations--can be reliably measured.

Great news for Active Transportation in Edmonton
At the Transportation & Public Works Committee meeting on Nov. 17th, 2009, the Committee approved both an Active Transportation Policy and an accelerated funding strategy for the Sidewalk Strategy and Bicycle Transportation Plan update. Both still need to be approved by full City Council. This is great news as it will provide enhanced capital funding to complete the work of both plans over a ten year time frame.

CHILDREN
Childhood obesity is a serious concern in New York City: Higher levels of fitness associated with better academic performance
To better understand the prevalence of childhood obesity and how physical fitness may be associated with academic performance in New York City….reviewed academic and fitness records of public school students in grades K-8 who participated in the NYC FITNESSGRAM program during the 2007–08 schoolyear.

Eat Right Be Active - A guide for parents and caregivers of toddlers ages 12 - 36 months
We all want the best for our children. We want them to grow up healthy and feeling good about themselves. This booklet can help. It has lots of everyday ideas for you, as the busy parent or caregiver of a toddler.

Eat Right Be Active - A guide for parents and caregivers of toddlers ages 12 - 36 months
FRENCH version

Fuel up for fun – Winter 2010
Each four-page edition aims to contribute to the development of knowledge, positive attitudes and healthy behaviours of children 6-8 years of age so they will eat right and be active with their families throughout the year. A “Parents Walk the Talk” section is included on the back page of each edition.

Fuel up for fun – FRENCH version

NYC Department of Education: Fitness and health
Student success depends on a blend of academic skills, good health, and physical and mental fitness. New York City schools offer a wide range of fitness and health instruction……

NYC FITNESSGRAM Assessment
Originally developed by the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research, FITNESSGRAM supports students in learning about and measuring components of health-related fitness: aerobic endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Diabetes Fact Sheets in 13 languages
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long term Care along with the Canadian Diabetes Association has put together a Diabetes resource fact sheet series that includes physical activity in 13 languages. Each language set contains the following sets of fact sheets

Diabetes - An Introduction
Staying Healthy - Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Healthy Eating - The Basics
Physical Activity
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Alcohol and Diabetes
Managing Your Cholesterol
Foot Care
Managing Blood Glucose Levels
Using Insulin
Health Coverage

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The Crawford Report (Aus)
This report, combined with compelling new data from the WHO showing physical inactivity to be our fourth largest killer should provide additional evidence to convince decision makers of the importance of physical activity, and the relative under investment we have made in solutions to the inactivity epidemic.

Physical Activity Line
The Physical Activity Line is a free phone line and online resource to active, healthy living. The PAL is staffed by national, CSEP Certified Exercise Physiologists® (CSEP-CEP's), who have undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in exercise science and advanced training in clinical exercise prescription.

Physical activity statistics by province – Institute of health economics
If you type “physical activity” into their search engine many, many hits come up. Lot’s of good information here.

URBAN DESIGN
High Point Walking for Health: Creating Built and Social Environments That Support Walking in a Public Housing Community
November 2009, Vol 99, No. S3 American Journal of Public Health S593-S599
Conclusions. A multicomponent intervention developed through participatory research methods that emphasized walking groups and included additional strategies to change the built and social environments increased walking activity at a public housing site in Seattle.

Planning complete streets for an aging America
This study encourages transportation planners and decision makers to build upon the principles of Complete Streets to address the specific needs of older drivers and pedestrians. Adoption of these principles ultimately improves the safety for all road users.

November 26, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Objective versus subjective measures of the built environment, which are most effective in capturing associations with walking?
Health & Place, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 14 November 2009
The results showed that objective measures of the built environment had stronger associations with walking than subjective measures.

CHILDREN

Associations between physical activity, fitness, and academic achievement
Volume 155, Issue 6, December 2009, Page A1
These results suggest that physical activity and fitness can be beneficial to school performance.

Take Action: A guide for those working towards getting children and youth more physically active
This guide is intended to help you take the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity recommendations further and turn the research into action. This is for all of us who are working towards getting children and youth more physically active—from NGOs to public health to sport organizations and municipal recreation departments,

CHRONIC DISEASE

Alberta Diabetes Atlas 2009 – Launch
The Alberta Diabetes Atlas provides information on the number of people living with diabetes in Alberta, their related health conditions, and the health services they use.

COMMUNITY

Advocacy update: top ten reasons parks are important: the values of public parks and recreation in America.
This list of values encompasses the range of why public parks and recreation are an essential part of the national heritage, and the value provided to all citizens.

The Excellent City Park System.: What Makes it Great and How to Get There
Identifies seven factors as key to city park excellence. These factors are explored in detail in this publication and are also embellished with vignettes of “excellent practices” from cities around the country.

Neighborhood Land Use Diversity (LUD) and Physical Activity in Adjacent Parks
Health & Place, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 14 November 2009
This paper investigated whether parks were more likely to be used for PA if surrounded by greater LUD, as well as the interaction of LUD with the number of facilities in the park for predicting use of the park for PA.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Does a population-based multi-factorial lifestyle intervention increase social inequality in physical activity? The Inter99 study
Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.064840
The authors conclude: A population-based multi-factorial lifestyle intervention did not influence social inequality in physical activity

Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks
It is interesting to note that physical activity ranked as the fourth most important risk factor contributing to global deaths…… This report provides some interesting data on physical inactivity, particularly its risk contribution in developing countries as well as middle income and developed countries. For this reason it is an important report, because it profiles the relative importance of physical inactivity, independent of, and at least as important (or slightly more important) than obesity to global death.

Promotion of Physical Activity in the European Region: Content Analysis of 27 National Policy Documents
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6: 805-817
This paper provides a useful snapshot of the current state of physical activity policy in Europe. It is promising that a recent increase in physical activity policy development has occurred in the region. It is also promising that many policies contain recommended components and actions.

THENAPA
Thematic Network "Educational and Social Integration of Persons with a Handicap through Adapted Physical Activity ".

THENAPA II: "Ageing and disability - a new crossing between physical activity, social inclusion and life-long well-being"
The aim of our project is to collect and bring together on European level, the information concerning physical activity and sport for older adults and to make possible the identification and the fulfillment of relevant educational programs in the students’ curricula.

October 8, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road: To boost urban bicycling, figure out what women want
“If you want to know if an urban environment supports cycling, you can forget about all the detailed ‘bikeability indexes’—just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female,” says Jan Garrard, a senior lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Seeking and Valuing Win-Win Built Environment Investments for Healthy and Sustainable Travel
This study aims to identify and evaluate win-win built environment improvement strategies that would simultaneously promote sustainable and healthy travel behavior. Furthermore, the paper presents a quantitative assessment of the economic return of promising built environment improvement strategies by estimating and comparing the associated health benefits against construction costs.

CHILDREN
Evaluation of a Walking School Bus for Promoting Physical Activity in Youth
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6: 560-567.
Results revealed that school-wide prevalence of walking to school at least half of the time was 27% higher in the intervention schools than in the control school. The interventions students were significantly more active than control students, doing an average of 78 versus 67 minutes of physical activity each day.

Get Set 4 Life - Habits for Healthy Kids Guide
This Guide provides practical information on children’s health and covers techniques and tips for teaching children healthy habits that could last a lifetime. Key areas of health and age appropriate development covered in the booklet include: healthy eating, regular exercise, speech and language, oral health and more.

Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit: A Guide for Local and State Leaders Working to Create Healthy Communities and Prevent Childhood Obesity
The strategies outlined in this document are divided into several policy areas in order to increase awareness of the promising and evidence-based policy options to reduce childhood obesity.

Presentations from the August Safe Routes to School National Conference
A number of the PDF versions of the presentations are available for download. We are updating these presentations daily as we receive them from the speakers- please check back regularly.

School-based physical activity programs for promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents aged 6-18
Given that there are no harmful effects and that there is some evidence of positive effects on lifestyle behaviours and physical health status measures, ongoing physical activity promotion in schools is recommended at this time.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Implementing Exercise: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go?
Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease Volume 16, Issue 6, November 2009, Pages 536-544
This article reviews what is known regarding the implementation of exercise and provides suggestions as to how exercise counseling might become a routine part of the care of patients with chronic kidney disease.

DISABITLITY/ACCESSIBILITY
Including People with Disabilities in Coordinated Transportation Plans
It provides ideas and suggestions for increased involvement by people with disabilities, who have a perspective essential to the success of coordinated planning.

HEALTH – GENERAL
Healthy Futures for BC Families — Policy Recommendations for Improving the Health of British Columbians
The Report contains 45 recommendations covering such areas as early childhood development, housing, food security, income security, transportation and supportive environments. Physical activity is also mentioned.

Measure Up! Campaign: Phase One Evaluation results
The evaluation for Phase One of the Measure Up campaign was conducted through a series of surveys with the target audience.

OLDER ADULTS
Does a home based strength and balance programme in people aged 80 years provide the best value for money to prevent falls?: A systematic review of economic analyses of falls prevention interventions
British Journal of Sports Medicine On-line first
The authors found single factor interventions to be most cost effective.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Moving beyond 'rates, roads and rubbish': How do local governments make choices about healthy public policy to prevent obesity?
Semi structured interviews were conducted with representatives of local government in Australia. Factors most likely to facilitate policy change were those supported by external funding, developed from an evidence base and sensitive to community and market forces. Barriers to change included a perceived or real lack of power to make change and the complexity of the legislative framework.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Activity-Promoting Video Games and Increased Energy Expenditure
The Journal of Pediatrics Volume 154, Issue 6, June 2009, Pages 819-823
The authors conclude that activity-promoting video games have the potential to increase movement and energy expenditure in children and adults.

BC Healthy Living Alliance: Physical Activity Strategy
BCHLA has four initiatives to take British Columbians from the TV to the trails. Knowing that small steps lead to big results, and that their actions can influence their children and aging parents, adults are the primary target.

The Community Guide: Promoting Physical Activity
Information on campaigns and informational approaches to increase physical activity, including community-wide campaigns; mass media campaigns; classroom-based health education focused on providing information; and much more.

Interventions on Diet and Physical Activity: What Works
Implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
Interventions on diet and physical activity: what works" (What Works) provides policy-makers and other stakeholders with a summary of tried and tested diet and physical activity interventions that aim to reduce the risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCD).

September 28, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN
After School Recreation Initiatives: Final Report
This study examines the state of afterschool recreation programming (in Alberta) and identifies opportunities for engaging recreation practitioners and allied stakeholders in developing a provincial strategy for action to create quality afterschool programs as a way to use those hours for constructive, healthy activities.

Encourage the Kids, Support the Game
A community education campaign, funded by the Victorian Government and VicHealth, which aims to stamp out poor spectator behaviour in junior sport so that players, parents, all spectators and officials can enjoy the game

Interactions of socioeconomic position with psychosocial and environmental correlates of children's physical activity
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:56
Learn how socioeconomic, psychosocial and environmental factors relate to physical activity in this new study from South Australia.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Type 1 Diabetes: Living Well with Diabetes
This section of the NHS (UK) Choices website provides information about eating a healthy diet if you type 1 diabetes. It is aimed at the general public.

Type 2 Diabetes: Diet
This section of the NHS Choices website provides information about eating a healthy diet if you type 2 diabetes. It is aimed at the general public.

DISABITLITY/ACCESSIBILITY
MS Practice - for health professionals
A series of free resources developed for health professionals & students who work with people with MS, developed by MS Australia and physiotherapy experts is now available.

HEALTHY EATING
Study Suggests Easy Access to Fast-Food Restaurants, Coupled with No Access to a Car, Prompts Weight Gain
The researchers attribute the weight variations to the fact that individuals who are less affluent and do not own cars are unable to travel the distance necessary to obtain healthier foods, resulting in overreliance on the lower-priced, higher-calorie foods available at fast-food outlets

OLDER ADULTS
Marketing and Communicating to Older Adults
This presentation from the Canadian Centre on Activity and Aging 2009 Research to Action conference provides an overview of marketing fundamentals - know your product, know your audience, have a plan - and how to apply this to the older adults market segment.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Disentangling the Risks Associated With Weight Status, Diet, and Physical Activity
We conclude that sufficient evidence demonstrates that the effects of weight status on cardiovascular and metabolic risk can be mediated by physical activity and CRF (5-9). As public health researchers, we should refocus our investigations to better understand the separate effects of diet and physical activity in the total population, regardless of a person’s weight status, and use the most objective measures possible. These efforts will enable us to determine the most favorable physical activity and fitness levels for all Americans to reach optimal health and prevent illness.

Validity of Self-Reported Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006
Men and women significantly overreport their height, increasingly so at older ages. Men tend to overestimate their weight, but women underreport their weight, more so in younger ages. Corresponding BMI is underestimated, more so for women than for men at each age and increasingly so with older age for both sexes.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Website-delivered physical activity interventions: a review of the literature
The results found some evidence suggesting that website-delivered physical activity interventions produced increased levels of physical activity. The effects of the interventions were short-term. There was limited evidence of continued changes in physical activity

URBAN DESIGN
New urban community promotes social networks and walking
This study is probably the first to show, in an academic study, such a big difference in social activity between a new urban community and a comparable suburban development. Also, it is the first to show such high rates of walking to stores.

WOMEN
Life events and changing physical activity patterns in women at different life stages
Annals of Behavioral Medicine 37(3)
See how life events can affect physical activity participation in the latest results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

WORKPLACE
Workplace resource kit
The Western Australia Department of Sport and Recreation have produced a new resource kit for developing physical activity and health programs in the workplace. (It’s large 48.1 MB)

August 15, 2009

By Rosanne Prinson, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN
Keeping Pace – Volume 1 Issue 1
This summary is the first in a series that highlights some of the key findings from the Physical Activity and Dietary Intake of Children and Youth in Nova Scotia (PACY) surveillance studies

Six year follow-up of students who participated in a school-based physical activity intervention: a longitudinal cohort study
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:48
Six years after the 12-month MIGI intervention, whilst intervention students had increased their advantage relative to controls in one skill, and appeared to maintain their advantage in two, they lost their advantage in two skills and were no more active than controls at follow up.

Translating Physical Activity Recommendations for Overweight Adolescents to Steps Per Day
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 37, Issue 2, Pages 137-140
Depending on the Moderate to Vigorous PA criteria used, these data suggest that overweight adolescents are likely to meet national MVPA recommendations if they accumulate between 10,000 and 11,700 steps per day.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Health-Care Cost Projections for Diabetes and other Chronic Diseases: The Current Context and Potential Enhancements
As awareness of the significant impact of chronic diseases on health and health care costs has grown, policymaker interest in exploring the role public policy might play in reducing the toll also has increased. Certainly, there is great public interest to find ways to ease the disease burden – and possibly the cost burden as well.

COMMUNITY
2009 Playful City USA Communities announced
In the third year of this annual program, 32 of 93 Playful City USA communities were repeat honorees from 2008, while 22 cities were cited for the third consecutive year. Thirty-nine new communities have joined others in making a commitment to children, These 93 communities created and implemented programs to positively impact childhood wellness, public safety and the quality of life. Also be sure to click on the ‘home’ tab (top left) to check out the Kaboom web-site.

Living Streets Aotearoa
Living Streets Aotearoa is the New Zealand organization for people on foot, promoting walking-friendly communities. We want more people walking and enjoying public spaces be they young or old, fast or slow, whether walking, sitting, commuting, shopping, between appointments, or out on the streets for exercise, for leisure or for pleasure.


DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Key indicators of progress for chronic disease and associated determinants
To date, information about chronic disease (and determinants) has been problematic in terms of consistency and comparability. This report describes the key indicators of progress for chronic disease and associated determinants (the Indicator set), and is a reference tool for anyone who wishes to measure and report the progress in the prevention of chronic disease in Australia.

Primer to Action: Social Determinants of Health
An electronic resource that helps us understand and influence how the social determinants of health impact chronic disease. Set in an electronic, easy to read format, with hundreds of links and resources, it is a practical resource for busy health and community workers, activists, in their capacity as staff, volunteers or community members.

HEALTH (GENERAL)
Call for a National Charter for Health (Australia)
Effective health promotion and prevention have the capacity to improve health, manage the expenditure pressures of preventable chronic disease, enhance economic productivity, bridge the health divide between different population groups and add healthy years to life expectancy.
Despite these prospects and a growing clamour for greater attention to prevention, it has always remained on the periphery of the healthcare system. Its funding support seems at odds with the compelling evidence base and its power base often too small to influence priority setting.
Partly because of the longer lead time to achieve improved health outcomes, health promotion has been unable to extract significant financial support from funders who face more immediate political and consumer demands for treatment and hospital services…...

MISCELLANEOUS
Nonprofits and Policy Advocacy: Learning from Success
This paper begins by defining what is meant by the term ‘policy advocacy’. In the second section, it looks at why policy advocacy is so important for the non-profit sector. In the third section, it presents examples of successful policy advocacy campaigns, and draws out some of the lessons that can be learned from these successes. Lists of coalitions and further resources are contained in the appendices.

Wellness is……
A 48 pg booklet from the Calgary Health Region which they hope “provides some inspiration to everyone who wishes to improve their health, healing and well-being.”

OLDER ADULTS
Analysis of Individual Social-ecological Mediators and Moderators and Their Ability to Explain Effect of a Randomized Neighborhood Walking Intervention
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:49
Using data from the SHAPE trial, a randomized 6-month neighborhood-based intervention designed to increase walking activity among older adults, this study identified and analyzed social-ecological factors mediating and moderating changes in walking activity.

Efficacy of progressive resistance training on balance performance in older adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Although some studies showed significant improvements in balance performance for groups receiving progressive resistance training, the data did not consistently show that the use of progressive resistance training in isolation improved balance in the elderly.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Canadian Obesity Network – Nutrition
The purpose of this affiliated web site is to provide a central information and networking area for health professionals who are interested in nutritional aspects of obesity prevention and treatment for children, adolescents and adults.

Factors associated with obesity and coronary heart disease in people with intellectual disabilities
Intellectual functioning and behavioral problems were not associated with greater odds of these conditions.

The obesity epidemic: analysis of past and projected future trends in selected OECD countries
Canada is mentioned 76 times in this 81 page document.

Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States
This report describes the expert panel process that was used to identify 24 recommended strategies for obesity prevention and a suggested measurement for each strategy that communities can use to assess performance and track progress over time.

Recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent obesity in the United States: Implementation and measurement guide
The guide includes measurement data protocols, a listing of useful resources, and examples of communities that successfully implemented each obesity prevention strategy.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Are people in Scotland becoming more active? Combined results from Scotland's routine national surveys
This report provides an assessment of long term trends in physical activity amongst adults aged 16-64 in Scotland. Combining data from three Scottish Health Surveys (1995, 1998 and 2003) and ten Health Education Population Surveys (spanning 1996 to 2006), regression analysis is used to examine whether there has been any change in the proportion meeting the recommendations for physical activity between 1995 and 2006.

British Heart Foundation Physical Activity & Health Update August 2009
Latest issue of their monthly newsletter.

Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions to Promote Physical Activity: A Modelling Study
The findings presented in this study suggest that the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a combination of interventions designed to promote physical activity might provide policy makers with some guidance about the best way to reduce the burden of disease caused by physical inactivity.

The Economic Costs of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Inactivity Among California Adults – 2006
Just released July 9th this study “found the total annual estimated cost to California for overweight, obesity and physical inactivity was $41.2 billion – $21.0 billion for overweight and obesity, and $20.2 billion for physical inactivity.”

Participation in Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey: 2008 Annual Report
Take a look at the latest results on participation in physical activity for people aged 15 years and over in Australia.

URBAN DESIGN
The Place Doctor- Fred Kent
Fred Kent, founder of the Project for Public Spaces, is on a mission to put soul back into communities, one park bench at a time……

Squeezing innovative green spaces into crowded cities requires looking for land in unexpected places
Are you regularly told that your city is “all built out” and has no room for new parks, even though there seem to be plenty of new high-rises, parking lots, and shopping malls?
Is it perhaps time to start looking for new urban parkland in untraditional places?
That is exactly what’s beginning to happen in densely packed cities. Here are a few of the innovations.